


We Will Never Be Alone Again

by bunilicious



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Angst with a Happy Ending, Devoted Reylo, F/M, First Kiss, Happily Ever After, Inspired by Romeo and Juliet, Reylo - Freeform, Secret Relationship, Secret Wedding, Smut, elopement
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-09-05 02:59:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16802329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunilicious/pseuds/bunilicious
Summary: “I may have… kissed him.”The gesture should have troubled Lady Rey exceedingly. Ben was, after all, the son of her family’s greatest enemies - two noble houses separated by a conflict so old that none seemed to recall its true origin. The wounds were old and had been left to fester, forged in war and bloodshed, contaminating even those who were centuries removed from their initial conflict.Yet, as she glanced up to witness the curious glances of her ladies-in-waiting - women who shared the same youth and verve as she did in the depths of their seemingly guarded hearts - Rey wondered if the time had finally come to challenge the long-held beliefs of their elders. To start a new beginning.----------A REYLO MEDIEVAL AU





	We Will Never Be Alone Again

**Author's Note:**

  * For [reylocalligraphy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/reylocalligraphy/gifts).



> Happy Birthday to my dear friend, Reylocalligraphy! This one is for you, king!
> 
> Thank you to my beta, LoveofEscapism!

“I may have… kissed him.”

The gesture should have troubled Lady Rey exceedingly. Ben was, after all, the son of her family’s greatest enemies - two noble houses separated by a conflict so old that none seemed to recall its true origin. The wounds were old and had been left to fester, forged in war and bloodshed, contaminating even those who were centuries removed from their initial conflict. 

Yet, as she glanced up to witness the curious glances of her ladies-in-waiting - women who shared the same youth and verve as she did in the depths of their seemingly guarded hearts - Rey wondered if the time had finally come to challenge the long-held beliefs of their elders. To start a new beginning.

Their families were old men and women set in their ways, unwilling to bend for the sake of their pride and admit that perhaps, the time had come to bury the past and all the misfortunes it had wrought. 

“How was it?” one of the ladies asked, her blue eyes widened with evident curiosity and delight.

Touching her lips with the tips of her trembling fingers, Rey suddenly recalled how her lover had voiced the same thoughts of the past last night, in her family’s garden, his deep voice shrouded under the cloak of darkness and the rustling of leaves. 

Only the pale moonlight had witnessed their exchange, nestled as the lovers were deep in between the lilacs and roses as spring neared its end.

Her father had organized a banquet to mark her birth date – yet beyond the innocent celebrations lay the evident desire to encourage a betrothal that would bring renewed prosperity to his household – a contract marked by the accumulation of wealth and privilege as opposed to the union of two devoted souls.

Lord Palpatine had always been vocal about her ultimate purpose.

And Rey had been raised to accept it – until the fateful day she’d gazed upon Ben’s handsome face at court, marveled by the sheer contrast between his physical strength and the gentleness of his manner. 

Ben had, of course, not been invited to the banquet. He was the last scion of the dreaded Solo and Skywalker families – enemies of her kin, people whose strength had grown upon the marriage of the young man’s parents.

Yet, in the months following their fateful meeting at court, Ben had spared no thoughts to the enmity between their esteemed families. Following that initial meeting, she’d had numerous opportunities to witness his prowess in battle and his regard for her opinion, despite the objections he knew he faced from his own kin.

But Ben always refused to bend to what others had accepted in his stead.

Even now, during the banquet hosted to mark her nineteenth birthday, he had managed to whisk her away from under her father’s nose – even if only for a few meager stolen moments.

“How could I possibly describe it?” Rey mused, unable to voice the flood of emotions his lips had unleashed – the overwhelming need which had washed over her as they had finally shared their first kiss.

He had tipped her chin up, the outline of his lips barely visible despite the half-moon which reigned in the starry sky. Then, with a tenderness that had unraveled every obstacle in their paths, his lips had brushed hers for the first time, sending a pleasurable shiver coursing through her like a winding river. His touch was tentative, as if he feared her rejection, despite the numerous glances and whispered secrets they had exchanged in the moments leading up to this midnight tryst. 

It was only when her hands reached out to grip his shoulders - her short nails digging into his fine doublet - that he had deepened the kiss, finally claiming her with a burst of newfound courage. 

She allowed him free reign, basking in the inquisitive nature nestled deep into every caress, every brush of his fingers against her thin bliaut – an inconvenient barrier which left her wanting whatever more he could give. 

“Do not let the past take hold of you,” he had told her when they finally parted for air. 

His knuckles brushed against her exposed collarbone and, as she opened her eyes to adjust once more to the darkness, she dimly registered the unmistakable quiver of his lower lip.

“You always say that when we meet,” she pondered, her voice barely above a whisper, her lips swollen from his pleasurable attention.

“Just as I always ask you to run away with me,” Ben continued, his eyes burning through the midnight shroud as he gazed upon her face with intent. “Tonight, is no different.”

Her palm rested over his heart, stunned by the sheer force of its flutter. “Ben,” she had whispered, her voice both rapture and sorrow.

“It is the only way we can escape this never-ending conflict,” he insisted. “We must never become what they are.”

“And what are they?” Rey challenged him, overwhelmed by the implication resting underneath his words.

To think of her father as anything other than the kindly man who had clothed and fed her, who had looked after her since she had drawn her first breath, was almost too much to bear. 

Despite the fact that he had done it out of obligation, as opposed to a deep familial love.

“It is difficult, isn’t it?” he asked her with a slight chuckle. Somehow, the night did not impede him from reading her mind, from discerning the thoughts etched on her face. 

“What is?” she countered, yet the tremor in her voice betrayed her.

“To accept that your family has failed you too.”

Color drained from Rey’s face, and her hands moved away to rest limply by her side. “M-my father never failed me,” she cried out, but even she could sense how unconvincing her voice sounded – her hesitation marked by the moment she uttered the protest.

He quirked an eyebrow, as if to challenge her. “Did he not raise you to believe I was your enemy? To despise a family for reasons which had nothing to do with them?”

“Y-you killed my family,” she retorted.

“As did you.” His gaze softened despite the blunt reply. “People die in wars. Our families were merely cursed to be on opposite sides centuries ago, for more times than we could count.”

Lowering her eyes, she focused on the rich fabric of her crimson bliaut, the hem brushing against the soft earth. It would stain, she knew, and Rey briefly pondered how she best she could remove the stains before someone caught wind of her midnight assignation.

“Perhaps this is a sign,” she glanced up, uttering the words in a weak voice. “A cruel omen that we should not be together.”

“Or perhaps it is a sign that we _ should _ ,” Ben insisted, his fingers brushing against the outline of her jaw, resting under her chin so that he could caress her lips with his thumb.

Rey kissed his finger when he did so, her eyes fluttering closed as a tear escaped its confines. It trailed down her left cheek with agonizing slowness.

“Don’t be afraid, love,” she heard him say in a low and soothing voice. His thumb moved to brush the tear aside, and his palm cupped her cheek as he did so.

She heard Ben’s breath hitch, and her lips parted instinctively to welcome him again. They kissed anew, as another tear stained her cheek – its progress stopped when it touched his hand, as if his palm could shield her from the fear which always gripped her whenever he made plans for their future.

“O-our families,” she breathed once their kiss had ended, her tone etched with the caution of someone in constant fear of being overheard. “Your family… you do not have their permission.”

“I have the king’s permission,” he proclaimed, his hands moving until he finally wrapped his arms around her waist, fingers toying with the leather girdle which gathered her bliaut. “Or have you forgotten where we met?”

She shook her head. Indeed, Ben’s family wielded significant influence at court – it was a miracle she had found herself in his vicinity when she first laid eyes on him. But the king’s word was law… and Ben had somehow obtained the advantage that could override any familial objection.

Hands journeying upwards, Rey caressed his arms, marveling at the firm muscles she could feel even beneath his heavy doublet. “Your family will hate me,” she stated, glancing down as the weight of the acknowledgement dawned on her. “They might be our enemies, but I have always admired them.”

Blushing as she voiced the confession, Rey paused, suddenly lacking the words to explain how she had always esteemed Ben’s mother for her quiet strength, or how she had always been in awe of how easily his father seemed to excel at every joust – despite his advanced age.

“They would be fools to hate you, Rey,” Ben assured her, pulling her closer to him so that her cheek rested on his heart.

“You only say that because you love me,” she pointed out, lips curling up into a smile.

“I say that because I know you,” came his quick reply.

It astonished her how naturally he had responded to her concerns – as easy and uncomplicated as breathing.

“And, soon enough, they will know who you are as well. They will know your strength and your bravery.” Ben paused then, breath hitching ever so slightly as Rey sensed his heart pounding furiously in his chest. “If you agree to come with me. To give me the honor of your hand.”

A momentous decision stretched before her, wrapped as she was in the arms of the only man she had ever loved. Biting her lower lip, she took in the consequences of such an action.

“My father will be furious,” she concluded. “He will likely refuse to give me my dowry.”

His embrace tightened. “I am not marrying you for that.”

“I know,” she said. “Otherwise, we would not be here, together.” The sound of his heartbeat comforted her, and she let out a contented sigh. “I would have never allowed you to come near me.”

Her hands now journeyed across the large expanse of his back, stunned by his sheer size. He was a warrior through and through, yet beneath the strong exterior, the intimidating height, and the intensity of his dark eyes, Ben’s soul was gentle and earnest. He had challenged her as no other man had, to look inside herself and admit the painful truths that she tried long ago to suppress in her desire to be the perfect daughter.

“It is difficult,” she said at last. “You are right about that.”

She pulled back to look into his eyes as he continued to hold her. “For so long I tried to be good, hoping that my father’s regard towards me would change. That he would wake up one morning and view me as a daughter instead of his property.”

“Rey –”

“H-he failed me,” she breathed. “He taught me that I should hate you because of the name you were born with, despite not knowing who you truly are. And I  _ do _ know you, Ben, because I took the chance to look beyond what he had ingrained in me. As did  _ you _ .”

Cupping his face in her hands, Rey gazed into his eyes, brown as the rich and fertile soil they stood on. The tips of her fingers brushed against his hair, as black and luxurious as the darkness which cloaked them in the garden.

Closing her eyes, her senses sharpened as she appreciated the pleasant smell of lilac and roses melt into the night.

The lilacs would cease blooming soon – their flowering was always short-lived. But the roses would continue to grow – as they normally did, and some would bloom again in the fall. But, regardless of that, the flowers would still re-emerge when the time came, undaunted by the season which signaled their end.

She went on her tiptoes and kissed him, lips pressed against his in earnest as her fingers toyed with his rich hair. Touching him as tentatively as he had done only moments ago, Rey savored every moment – her enthusiasm overcoming her own inexperience as she discovered what he liked.

The endeavor presented no difficulties whatsoever. Her lover appeared to enjoy every moment, pulling her flush against his muscular frame when she had accidentally grazed his lower lip with her teeth, or when her fingers raked through his hair with abandon and occasionally tugged at his locks ever so slightly.

All too soon, they parted, their need for breath outweighing their insatiable hunger. Visibly dazed, Ben looked into her eyes – the dark pools glistening with unshed tears. Lips curled upwards, Rey gave him a reassuring smile, pecking his lips one last time before her mouth parted with the desire to speak.

“Tomorrow evening,” she said. “Meet me here, and I will come with you.”

~*~

She married him under the heavy branches of an old oak tree, just a few miles away from the Solo-Skywalker estate.

A travelling friar officiated the nuptials, and her ladies in waiting served as witnesses – eager to observe the secret union under the cover of a starry night.

Soon enough, they were married – and once the rings were exchanged, Ben cupped her face and pressed a gentle kiss on her waiting lips. Though custom did not dictate for such a gesture, Rey’s heart still fluttered as her husband lingered for a few precious seconds before parting, his pale face tinged with a deep shade of pink. 

The friar and witnesses departed after a few minutes, visibly pleased with the nuptials and the profuse gestures of gratitude from the young couple.

As the figures vanished into the night, Ben clasped her hand, his thumb brushing against her wedding band.

“What do we do now?” she asked him, though at the back of her mind she knew what was to come.

Still, pure fire seemed to course through her as Ben led her into the woods, stopping only when they reached a small cottage located by a shallow lake.

Blushing as much as he was, Rey allowed him to lead the way, hands still joined until he paused to unlock the door.

Picking her up in his arms, he carried her over the threshold into a large room with a bed located in the corner. Candles decorated the tables nearby, casting the room in a dim glow, having clearly been lit prior to their arrival.

Whether Ben had arranged everything by himself, or he had relied on the assistance of a trusted servant, Rey did not know. If she were honest, she cared very little for such details.

Gazing into her husband’s eyes, so tenderly locked with her own, she could not help but smile. What truly mattered to her was that they had found the means and courage to follow their hearts. To surpass the obstacles which had impeded their union, to set aside the accepted “truths” their families had raised them to adhere to.

“It’s just us now,” she whispered as he lowered her on the bed, her back sinking into the soft mattress.

He climbed next to her, his large hands caressing the slope of her neck, fingertips travelling over her exposed collarbone before they brushed the smooth fabric of her white bliaut, a startling contrast with his own dark attire.

“Does that please you, my love?” Ben asked, his lips only a breadth away from her own.

She could only nod, her heart too full of love to bother with words. Instead, she showed him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders to pull him close to her.

He settled in between her waiting thighs, and his mouth sought hers with fervor. He kissed her lips, her jaw, the flushed apples of her cheeks. Not an inch of her remained unloved and untouched by his eager mouth and clever hands.

Clothes were soon discarded – white and dark fabrics strewn across the wooden floor as easily as they had been put on, marked by the enthusiasm of their nuptials. Limbs tangled together until their bodies fused as one, in a joining that was just as much physical as it was spiritual, the culmination of two souls who had embraced the strength of their mutual devotion.

The small cottage was silent, save for their lowered voices – heady mixtures of gasps and words of love. She whispered words of praise in his ear as he brought her to the summit, and his voice grew in passion as her own pleasure encouraged his own.

As such, relief did not elude them. They found peace together, gasps and confessions mingled together as they soared like two birds beneath the clouds, free from the restraints which had threatened their union not that long ago.

By the time it was all over, half the candles had already extinguished themselves, signaling the passage of the merciless time.

Their union had been consummated at length, yet, she still hungered for more, for whatever he could give her while they still had a few moments of peace left.

Light-headed from the strength of her release, Rey glimpsed as he rose from their bed to snuff the remaining candles. Only the stars and moon provided the darkened chamber with the modicum of light, and through the darkness she could discern the outline of Ben’s powerful frame – a body molded by years of strife and burdens.

The desire to prove himself worthy of the legacy he carried was etched into his every movement, a powerful stride mixed with the occasional clenching of his fists. Yet, despite the pressure to adhere to the course his family had set for him, he had chosen her.

_ Her _ .

Rey’s cheeks flushed at the thought, and her lips curled up in a satisfied smile.

He turned around to face her and, as he approached their bed anew, she scooted to make room for his large frame. Wordlessly, he slipped under the covers and gathered her to his chest, pulling the layers over her shoulders to keep her from getting cold.

Smiling at his gesture – the heat of his chest far more useful than the quilts which covered her – Rey still gave him the freedom to look after her. Once they were settled, she kissed his chest in an attempt to replicate the care he had provided her with, the love he had shown her throughout the night.

Cheek resting over his heartbeat, she traced his body with her small palms under the covers, unwilling to let sleep claim the final moments they would spend – untroubled by the censure of the world and by the protests of their families.

“We should rest,” she heard Ben say as her hands journeyed downwards, curious and eager.

“No,” came her reply, as natural as breathing.

Kissing the top of her head, he whispered. “I will still be here tomorrow, my love,” Ben promised, his voice certain. “Tomorrow and the day after. We are bound now, and you need not fear them.”

“I am not afraid,” she replied, as if the moments in which she had been introduced to new and exciting pleasures had helped her unlock an ancient and forgotten mystery. “Not anymore.”

Tilting her chin, she kissed his heated skin in reassurance, right over the spot where his heart pounded furiously in his chest.

“When will we tell them?” she asked after a brief pause, though in her mind she already knew the answer.

To keep their union secret from the world would only bring them hardships. To deny their joining and carry on with their lives as if it had never happened would be a fate worse than death.

At least their demise promised the end of the torture they would be subjected to.

“Tomorrow,” he vowed, squeezing her close to his frame in reassurance.

Still, despite the gesture, she heard his trembling exhale.

“You are afraid of they will say,” Rey said, her mind already attempting to piece together ways in which they could cope with the rejection.

They were, Rey knew, dependent on the wills and whims of their elders. In her heart, Rey knew that refusing to bend to parental authority would only bring them face to face with the censure of the world.

By marrying Ben and taking his ancestral family name, Rey was well-aware she had forsaken her kin. Her father had concocted other plans in the evening he had hosted the banquet.

His family’s acceptance was all that remained.

“Could we survive without the support of those we know? Could we bear the brunt of their influence?” he pondered, voicing his concerns out loud to her for the first time.

She wondered if their joining had made him more willing to disclose his fears. Up until this moment, Ben had always borne a cloak of bravery and determination. Was that merely a shell that hid the vulnerability which all men were discouraged to show?

“We will,” she promised, the significance of their union fueling her with unanticipated strength. “We are bound now. We will never be alone again.”

~*~

They awoke with the sun shining through the window, casting a warm light upon their faces.

Rey’s eyelids fluttered open first, and she lifted her head to stare upon her husband’s visage, still wrapped in the sweet embrace of a peaceful slumber.

Watching Ben sleep proved to be a fascinating endeavor. His furrowed brows were now untroubled by the burdens he shouldered while awake, granting him a more boyish appearance. Gone was the intimidating warrior she had heard so much about, replaced by a man who yearned for harmony and belonging – a vulnerability she saw he labored to  hide from the world outside.

Yet, despite how much she loathed to disturb him from his sleep, Rey knew what he had vowed to undertake the day before.

His plush lips looked inviting even as he slumbered, so she bent down and kissed them, delighted by their softness. It seemed the morning had made them more inviting, and as she deepened her attentions, his lips parted to welcome her inside. Clearly awakened by her eager touch, he allowed her free reign over his frame, groaning in satisfaction as her keen hands travelled across the expanse of skin cloaked by the heavy bed covers.

She reveled in the novel power which her touch bestowed upon him, as if she had awakened from a slumber of a different nature – at last aware of the delight which only a union such as theirs could provide.

They joined again in the morning light, with only the sounds of their lovemaking to keep them company alongside the emerging songs of the world outside their cottage: the free birds which seemed to encourage them with their melodies, the unmistakable sign of the natural world in complete harmony.

Once it was done, they bathed and dressed each other in the small room, picking up the clothes they had so eagerly discarded the night before.

In their haste to escape the obstacles that weighted so heavily upon their shoulders, they had forsaken all other possessions, content with the pleasure of their company and the sacredness of their holy union beneath the ancient oak tree.

Still, as Rey caught a glimpse of Ben putting on his boots, she knew their joining could not be sustained solely on hopes and dreams.

Despite that, her lips parted, the confession yearning to be heard. “I love you,” she simply said, her mouth curled up in a smile as she saw his eyes glisten in response.

Standing up, he regarded her with a warm expression. “I love you too,” Ben replied, his voice trembling with an emotion that Rey knew matched the four words he had just uttered.

When he was finished, she placed her hand in his to lead him out of the cottage.

Travelling through the forest which bordered his estate, Rey prayed her husband’s parents would eventually approve of their secret union, faced as they would be with the prospect of their only son and heir forsaking all duty in favor of his heart.

_ But I am worth it all _ , she realized as she looked into Ben’s eyes, emboldened by the love she glimpsed in his expressive gaze.

They walked through a small trodden path to his family’s manor, hands squeezed in silent reassurance.

_ As is he. _

~*~

“We are married,” Ben’s words echoed through the large banquet hall of Endor Manor, empty save for the presence of his kin.

Rey glanced up to take in the shocked expressions etched on his parents’ faces as they stood on the dais at the end of the room, widened eyes and slack jaws. The silence was deafening, so strong that she heard his mother take a deep breath before she sat down on one of the large wooden chairs located at the center of the tall platform.

She watched as Lady Leia rested her elbows on the chair’s wide oak arms, left palm settled against her forehead in evident distress. The hand shielded her mother in law’s eyes, but Rey had no need to analyse them in order to understand how much the news had affected her.

“Have you gone mad?” Rey heard Ben’s father exclaim, his strides heavy as he stepped down from the dais.

She squeezed Ben’s hands with her own small fingers, nails digging into his skin. If her gesture had startled her new husband, he did not show it. The look he gave her as he glanced down spoke of nothing besides adoration, and the corners of his lips lifted in a warm smile.

“We are married,” he repeated before turning around to face his father. “Not mad. Just married.”

Lord Solo stood mere inches from them, his imposing height almost matching that of his son. The two men regarded themselves in silence, eyes searching, as if pleading for the other to go first.

What thoughts crossed through his father’s mind, Rey could only venture to guess. Perhaps Lord Solo thought this was a cruel joke concocted by his son, as shown by how the older man’s eyebrows had furrowed when he glimpsed at the matching wedding bands.

“You don’t approve,” Ben stated, chin tilting upwards with defiance.

“Of all people…” Lord Solo began, his jaw working as he clearly tried to voice his concern. “Their family.”

“I do not bear the responsibility for what my family has done many centuries ago,” Rey spoke up, her eyes sparkling as she witnessed the shock etched on Lord Solo’s face. “And neither does your son. If we are able to look past that, to bury old wounds… why should you not do the same?”

Lord Solo’s face tilted towards her, frowning as he visibly pondered the significance of her statement, the implication behind the request she had so ardently made. She wanted nothing more than to build a life with the man he loved, free from the taint of a past neither had any control over.

“What’s done is done,” Ben said. “We are married, and with the king’s permission. Your will is overruled.”

From the corner of her eyes, Rey saw Ben take a deep breath, as if a part of him still feared his father’s ire. It was, she figured, understandable – the result of having lived for so long with the burden of a legacy he had never asked for, raised to live up to and obey the will of his kin in detriment of his own desires.

But, from the determination carved deep into his sharp gaze, Rey’s heart swelled when she saw how he did not regret the choice he had made.

A weak voice sighed far away from them, making Lord Solo turn around. Rey’s eyes followed his gaze, witnessing as Lady Leia stood up from her chair and neared them, elegant despite the unexpected news which had been thrust upon her on this morning.

Somehow, despite the power she knew Lord Solo wielded as the owner of Endor Manor, Rey sensed it was his wife who truly made use of it. Her eyes widened as she witnessed Lord Solo bow his head, eyes focused on his wife’s determined face.

“You are the woman who my son has chosen to wed,” she simply stated, her eyes taking in Rey’s appearance.

Faced with the scrutinizing gaze of her mother in law upon her, Rey’s back straightened, allowing the woman to take her fill. Rey knew very well how she looked now – her pristine white bliaut crumpled due to Ben’s enthusiasm for the delights of the marriage bed, her long brown hair tangled in the absence of a brush, her neck lavished with love bites.

Her appearance left no doubt as to what had happened throughout the night.

“I am the woman who has chosen him, yes,” she added when Lady Leia concluded her inspection. A slight smirk now brightened her countenance, as Rey delighted in the manner in which Leia’s eyes widened anew, understanding settling in her gaze. “Believe me, my lady, he would not have married me had I disallowed it.”

“Is that so?” Leia quirked an eyebrow, the objections posed by her husband visibly forgotten. “How long have you and my son been courting for?”

“Several months now,” she admitted, “under your very noses.”

“R-Rey,” she heard Ben exclaim in a concerned voice.

She could only chuckle in reply, squeezing her husband’s hands anew to offer him comfort. It seemed his fear for Lord Solo’s anger was clearly nothing compared to the potential objections coming from the mother.

“Your son and I were married yesterday evening,” she continued, addressing both of his parents in a calm voice. “With the approval of the king and under the presence of  witnesses. The marriage was consummated not that long ago.”

A blush tinted her cheeks at that admission, and Rey glanced down briefly to stifle the exquisite memories which flooded in her mind.

“Indeed, there is nothing you can do now to prevent our union or to dissolve it,” she continued at last, looking up to stare into the silent faces of Ben’s kin.

From the corner of her eyes, Rey saw Ben tilt his chin up, as if her words had provided him with newfound courage. “You can either accept it, and we can all live here in harmony,” he began, unlacing their fingers so he could wrap his arms around her waist.

His palms settled on her hips, thumbs drawing circles against the fine fabric of her bliaut. “Or we can go and live elsewhere, with the knowledge that one day we will return here to assume our rightful place either way.”

“Is that how you feel, son?” Lord Solo asked, his voice low.

“Your approval is important to me,” Ben admitted, the tips of his fingers settling over her waist. “My family is important to me.”

Smiling, Rey wrapped her own hands around his frame and rested her head on his shoulder. 

“And Rey is my family as well,” he continued, placing a kiss on top of her head. 

Burying her nose in the thick fabric of his doublet, Rey took a deep and satisfied breath. Her husband’s smell took hold of her senses – a heady mixture of the soap they had used to bathe each other in the morning, and the vibrant nature they had traversed to reach the confines of Endor Manor.

Her scent was much like his on this morning, joining them as their nuptials had done so in the cover of darkness.

“And if you spurn her, then you spurn me also,” Ben finished, burying his face in her hair, lips brushing the outline of her ear just as her heart swelled with pure delight.

From her position, Rey glanced at Lord and Lady Solo anew, eyes glistening as she saw their faces soften. Husband and wife stood facing what Rey instinctively knew were the younger versions of themselves, newly married and clearly devoted to one another – with a love so strong and pure that would perhaps puzzle the rest of the world, used to matches made purely for financial benefits.

In that moment, as Rey witnessed her new father in law turn to his wife with a searching expression, the desire for approval clearly etched in the depths of his eyes, she mourned the affection which her own family had deprived her of. Her mother had died before Rey had learned to walk; her father had raised her out of a sense of obligation and a desire to marry her off for his own advancement.

Unlike the people standing before her, Rey knew her father would never bend.

As she observed the silent conversation which took place between Ben’s parents, and how their gazes wavered with unspoken regret, Rey knew they mourned as well. They mourned having raised their only son to hold onto century-old grudges, to accept what they had done as well out of a sense of misplaced duty.

“Some grudges are not worth keeping,” Lady Leia finally spoke out loud.

From her position, Rey felt Ben’s body loosen up, and heard him heave a sigh of evident relief.

“Wouldn’t you agree, Han?” She then looked at her husband, eyebrows raised as if she had issued a challenge, though it was clear she knew Lord Solo’s answer already.

The old man simply nodded, the corners of his mouth curling up in a smile not unlike that of his son.

Then, Lady Leia held up her arms in a clear invitation to join the family Rey had always yearned for, and she welcomed it, seeking refuge in the warm and motherly embrace.

Soon enough, the men joined them as well, and the banquet hall was filled with tears of joy and laughter.

The bright sun shone through the open windows, basking the four figures in light they healed old wounds and rose anew – stronger and wiser for all they had learned along the way.

  
  


FIN

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed the story! In honor of Ben and Rey's nuptials, consider leaving comments and kudos to the starving author who has shared their tale of love. <3
> 
> Happy birthday once more to the lovely Reylocalligraphy! I hope you enjoyed this ficlet. <3


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